Dental aligning and testing device



Oct. 1, 1935. E. 1 cHoTT DENTAL ALIGNING AND TEST-ING DEVICE Filed Sept.l, 1955 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 DENTAL ALIGNING AND TESTING DEVICE EdwardL. Cho'tt, Chicago, Ill., assigner of onehalf to Hugo J. Chott, Chicago,Ill.

Application September 1, 1933, Serial No. 687,789

1 Claim. (Cl. 32-32) My invention relates to dental aligning and testingdevices, and has for an object the provi- -sion of a device which may beused for setting artificial teeth in a wax base in the proper rela- 5tion to each other and testing the same before insertion in the patientsmouth in the completed article.

While the curve upon which the teeth of the human mouth are set issubstantially identical in approximately 95 per cent of human bodies,there are occasional cases where there are some diiferences in theformation of the bone structure and muscle structure, and consequentlysome compensation must be made for such an individual.

My device may be adapted to be used in aligning the artificial denturesfor such individuals, and the denture may be tested before its insertionin the human mouth.

While various theories have been advanced,

2o the theories of Spee and Dr. Monson have received great prominence.The theories have in common the theorem that the teeth of the humanmouth are set on a curve, or the surface of a sphere. I preferablyemploy Dr. Monsons theory in providing my device, and make provision ofa ldevice which will set up the teeth, align them, and test them for acurve or surface taken from a sphere having a radius of 4 inches.

Heretoiore articulators have been used for test- `ing the alignment oiteeth after they have been set up, and they have also been used fordetermining whether the alignment is such that biting land-chewingmovements may be made by thepatient in the proper manner. I propose alsoto utilize the articulator frame with certain adaptations to set up theteeth, but with my device the 'laborious and diicult grinding operationsheretofore made necessary by the improper setting of teeth withoutaccurately testing them will be -to 40 a large extent eliminated. Thegrinding opera- -tions have not always been successful in producingproper iinal alignment, and hence the patient has had diiculty in usingthe artificial teeth for their intended purposes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig..1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showingatype of articulator commonly in use, and having attached theretoplaster casts andwax impressions secured in said plaster casts;

l Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, with the wax `impression andplaster cast for the upper set of teeth removed from the articulator,and with my aligningand. testing plate attached to the articulator inthe proper manner for aligning and test- 111g;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, with the lower wax impression andplaster cast removed, and

with the testing plate for the upper teeth in place;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the testing plate shown in Fig. 2, attachedto its supporting members;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View, taken substantially .on 1 5 the line 5-5 ofFig. 2, and shows the curvature of the testing plate;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View, taken substantially on the line 6 6of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of the testing plate 10 shown in Fig. 3.

In making a complete set of articial teeth, it is customary to take waximpressions in the mouth of the patient, and this is shown at I0, thelower impression, and II, the upper impres'- l5 sion. A searing plate,not shown but well known in the art, having the curvature of the dottedline I2-I2 in Fig. 1, is then applied to the top of the lower waximpression and reversed and applied to the upper wax impression I I. Thepurpose of 20 this of course is to cause the two wax impressions toregister on a curve indicated'by the line I2-I2. The lower impression IEl is then placed above the lower member I3 of an articulator, generallyindicated at I4, and plaster I5 is poured around the 255 wax impressionand around the base or lower member I3 in order to provide a goodfoundation or support for the wax impression Ill. The articulator shownis of a type generally called the Stephan articulator, and since it iswell known 39 inthe art, no description of the same will be given otherthan to say that it has a lower member-and an-upper member, each ofwhich is to support its respective wax impression.

Some dentists prefer to set up the lower set of 35 teeth in the waximpression prior to the setting up of the upper teeth, and there areadvantages urged for each of the methods. If it is desired to follow therst of these methods and set up the lower teeth first, I remove theupper member from the articulator and place in its stead the testingplate l5 shown in Fig. 4 attached to its of plate i5, I preferably placean aligning line I'I,

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, for the purpose of aligning the plateon the lower wax impres- 50 sion i@ with the median lineplaced on thewax `irriprr-ission by the dentist at the time the wax impressionis-made. A transverse aligning line E8 is placed on a plate for ananalogous purpose. Attached to plate It are studs i9 which curveinwardly gene-rally from their point of attachmentto plate I6 andare-then straightened toa substantially vertical position. Around studsI9 are placed expansion springs 20 seating against 60 bearing washers2|, which in turn bear against the bases of hemispherically shapedbearing members 22 which are pierced to permit the passage of studs I9therethrough. On top of members 22 is placed an open framework 23 havinginwardly extending and meeting legs 24. At each point where. a leg meetsthe outside of frame 23 a slot 25 Yis provided for the reception ofstuds I9. It will be noticed that slots 25 have enlarged and cupped ends23 to provide bearing surfaces for bearing members 22. Bearing memberssimilar to members 22 are provided at the upper ends of slots 25 and.seat in bearing surfaces 26 which are similar to those above described.Studs I9 are externally threaded and receive knurled thumb nuts 2'I forthe purpose of holding `frame 23 on studs I9 and bearing against theeXpansion of springs 2t. To the rear end of frame IS may be secured atongue 29 having therein a longitudinal slot 23 for the reception of abolt 39 having a head 3i and wing nut 32. Bolt 39 and Wing nut 32 holdtongue 23 securely in position on swinging articulator frame 33, and maybe adjusted by movement of 'tongueY 2&3 in a suitably sized slot 34 inframe 33. Swinging frame 33 may be provided with laterally extendingtrunnions 35 having knurled heads 33.

'I'he operation of the device is as follows: Top frame 3'! of thearticulato-r frame maybe removed by pressing the trunnion heads thereofagainst. the action of spring 38 and removing it Vfrom condyle slots 39.YSwinging frame 33 may then be inserted in its place, since itsdimensions and formation conform to that of upper articulator framemember 3l. Proper adjustments may then be made for height, as is wellknown in the art, in the use of this type articulator, and knurled thumbnuts 2l may be tightened or loosened so that aligning plate l5 seatsproperly on lower wax impression lil and registers perfectly therewith.The teeth may then be inserted into wax impression it) by cutting awayparts thereof, andas parts are cut away the teeth are inserted in thecutouts and aligned by the aligning plate I3. During this operation ofcourse the entire plate and swinging frame 33 may be raised so as to beout of the way for the tooth setting operation. Successive teeth may beset by following the same procedure, and by use of aligning line I'I,line i8, and adjustment of nuts 2l on studs i9. Tests of course may bemade by pushing either of trunnion heads 35 b-ackwardly and forwardly inthe articulator so that trunnions 35 move backwardly and upwardly incondyle slots 39.

Dentists who prefer to set up the upper teeth rst may do so by employingthe structure shown in Fig. 3, which comprises an articulator frameVsimilar to the one shown in Fig. l except that this one is providedwith legs 49 for the purpose of raising the device above the level oflower supporting frame 4I and allowing the protrusion and extension ofstuds 42 which are'eXternally threaded and provided with knurled thumbnuts 43, and are located in positions on plate 44 which are similar tothose on plate I9 shown in Fig. 4. EX- pansion springs 45 surround studs4Z and expand in a manner similar to expansion springs 29 in bearingagainst washers 45, which in turn bear against bearing members il inbearing surfaces 48 of slots`49 in lower frame member 4|. The bearingmembers adjacent the knurled thumb nuts are similar to bearing members48, and bearing members 48, expansion springs 45, washers 46, bearingsurfaces 48, and slots 49 are similar to like parts illustrated in Figs.2 and 4. Studs 42 are also curved inwardly and vertically in the Ymanner similar to Vstuds I9 on plate I6, with the 5 exception that theyare inverted. The manner of use of the device shown in Fig. 3 isprobably obvious from a description given of the device shown in Figs. 2and 4, but of course the parts are reversed. In using plate 44 aligningline 50 10 is on the upper side of the plate, as is line 5I also. Theupper articulator frame bearing plaster cast and wax impression I I areremoved from the articulator frame shown in Fig. 1 and placed on theframe shown in Fig. 3, and adjustments for 15 height and longitudinalspacingV are made thereafter so as to align wax impression II properlyon plate 44. Plate 44 may be brought into proper position by looseningor tightening of knurled thumb nuts 43, as may be necessary,`so as to 20raise or lower the plate wherever necessary. After alignment of plate 44with the curve of Wax impression I I the teeth may be set in theimpression in a manner similar to that described forV setting teeth intowax impression I0, after which 2,5 they may be also tested in a mannerheretofore described.

It can be readily seen by one familiar with the art that much laboriousand difficult labor will be eliminated by using my device, because the30 test will be made after each setting of each tooth, and there will'beno guesswork as was always the case heretofore when an attempt was madeto use an aligning plate heldin the hand of the dentist. The adjustmentof the thumb nuts on 3.5 the studs will keep the plate in properpositionat all times, and there will be no chance forslippingV or error inapplying the plate.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my in- 4l) vention into effect, this iscapable-of variation and modification withoutV departing from the spiritof the invention. I, therefore, do not WishY to be limited to theprecise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch 45 variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention,'what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 50

In a device of the character described employing an articulator havingan upper member and a lower member, one of said members being movabletoward the other, the combination of an aligning plate with one of saidarticulator members, means for securing said aligning plate to one ofsaid members, said means comprising three threaded studs secured to saidaligning plate at three separated points, only two of which are locatedon an imaginary straight line, a coil spring on each of said studs andarranged between said `aligningY plate and the articulator member towhich said aligning plate is secured, enlarged annular apertures in saidarticulator member for the passage of said studs therethrough, aballshaped washer on each of said studs lbetween each coil spring andsaid articulator member, and a thumb nut having a ball-shaped inner endthreaded onto each of said Vstuds on the sideof Y said articulatormember opposite the side against which each of said ball-shaped washersbears.

EDWARD L. CHOTT. Y

